


Glow

by mothicalcreatures (laelreenia)



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen, Mako Treatments, SOLDIER - Freeform, again with 0 otp, otp feels meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 15:23:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13192944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laelreenia/pseuds/mothicalcreatures
Summary: Zack is starting to see the effects of the mako treatments he's receiving as a new SOLIDER recruit.





	Glow

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt six of the otp feels meme: Green  
> again, with no actual otp

Zack stepped out of the mako pod and vomited onto the floor and the shoes of the technician who was standing in front of him.

The technician took a step back, hmmed, and made a note on Zack’s chart. “Well, I think we’ve figured out what your limit is for mako treatments.”

Zack groaned. “Thanks, I wouldn’t have known otherwise.”

“The information is more important for the tech who’ll be administering your next treatment,” the tech replied.

Zack had a retort about how it was, in fact, still very important to _him,_ because he’d seen what happened to people who were overexposed to it or couldn’t handle it, but he didn’t say anything. He’d made it this far and he’d build increased tolerance with continued treatments.

 

Back in the barracks Zack collapsed onto his bed. If he felt this bad and he’d been one of the few who’d actually graduated to join SOLDIER how awful must it be for people who _fail_. Zack didn’t think he ever wanted to find out.

After a while he dragged himself up again to shower and rid himself from the mako residue on his skin. There was no one in the communal bathroom when Zack entered, not that he really would have cared if someone had been, but there was something nice about having the entire place to yourself. As he passed the mirrors a green glint caught his eye and he turned and froze.

Zack’s eyes were glowing a bright unnatural green, their natural blue almost entirely obscured by the glow. Shit. He knew that SOLDIERs had glowing eyes, but he didn’t think it was this intense. Maybe that was why most SOLDIERs wore helmets. Zack knew Sephiroth’s eyes were a very bright blue-green in pictures, but he’d never actually been close enough to the man in person to tell and pictures weren’t going to account for the glow. Maybe he could find a higher ranked SOLDIER that could he could ask.

After several more moments of trying to examine his eyes in the bathroom mirror, Zack turned away and returned to his original goal of showering.

Once he finally felt a little more human and didn’t stink of mako anymore, he headed up to the SOLDIER common room to relax and maybe find someone to ask about the whole glowing eye thing.

 

It didn’t look like anyone was in the common room when Zack arrived so he dropped down onto one of the couches with a groan.

“Rough day?” a voice asked.

Zack jerked up right, startled, and without meaning to snapped the arm of the couch by leaning into it too forcefully. “Shit.”

“Sorry kid, didn’t mean to startle you.”

Zack was torn between looking up to identify the speaker and freaking out, because he just broke the couch.

“Don’t worry about the couch,” the guy said. “It happens all the time, especially when you’re still learning your own strength.”

Zack took a deep breath and sat back finally looking over at the guy who’d gotten up from where he’d been sitting and made his way over to Zack.

“I’m Angeal,” he said, extending a hand to Zack.

“Zack Fair,” Zack replied, just a little bit starstruck. He hadn’t realized that _any_ of the Firsts would socialize in the same places that the Seconds and Thirds did.

“Nice to meet you Zack,” Angeal said. “How are the mako baths treating you?”

“Well, I found out my exposure limit today,” Zack said. “Threw up all over the tech’s shoes.”

“That’s never pleasant,” Angeal said. “Have you eaten anything since your last treatment?”

Zack shook his head. “I haven’t had the chance. I did shower though.”

“You should get something to eat,” Angeal said. “Why don’t we head down to the cafeteria together.”

“Uh, sure,” Zack said, getting to his feet. He wasn’t sure why he’d assumed that all the Firsts would be super aloof and intimidating, maybe because Sephiroth was typically the person people thought of when they thought of a SOLDIER First Class. “I actually have a question, about the mako treatments.”

Angeal nodded and Zack continued.

“Are my eyes going to stay this bright? I mean, I know mako makes your eyes glow, but this was a lot brighter than I was expecting.”

“No. Your eyes will be at their brightest during your initial mako treatments, once your mako levels even out and you’re not continually flooding your system with new mako, the glow will lessen.”

“Oh, thank Ramuh.”

Angeal raised an eyebrow.

“My eyes are a really pretty blue okay,” Zack said. “I was going to be devastated if they were forever obscured with a freaky green glow.”

That got a laugh out of Angeal, and he clapped Zack on the shoulder. “If anything you eyes will be even more obviously blue than they were before. Now to the cafeteria, we’re getting you food.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was partially inspired by some of the information about SOLDIER from _Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega_ that was presented on the Final Fantasy SOLDIER Wikia page. Specifically:
> 
>  
> 
> _In addition to training the candidates were exposed to Mako energy and only a handful graduated. Many became physically and mentally ill and dropped out, but this was concealed by disguising the loss in an extraordinary number of accidental deaths and suicides._
> 
>  
> 
> I couldn't imagine the process was particularly fun for the people who graduated either considering the side effects for the people who dropped out.


End file.
